In the construction, mining, farming, logging and other industries, it is sometimes necessary to build a temporary roadway over unstable ground surfaces, such as that found in swamps or other areas formed of muskeg and in sand. A method such as that disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,217 was developed for building roads over such unstable ground surfaces, wherein sections of mats of inter-connected tire sidewall elements are laid over the unstable ground surface, the mats acting to distribute the weight of a vehicle traveling over the mat sections in a manner to prevent the mat sections from sinking into the unstable ground beneath. The mat system of my previous patent employed mainly the sidewall portions of discarded used tires, in which each sidewall was tied together by tire strips made of the casing of the tires or by other suitable tying means. While such systems have proven very successful for many applications, in certain applications and from a cost standpoint there is a need to improve the previous tire mat systems. One such need has reference to handling greater road loading for longer trouble free service at a saving in manufacturing, assembling, installing and maintenance costs. Another is the need to find a solution for the ever increasing ecological problem presented by the tread portions of the discarded tires, in which regard, there is a great need to find a high volume use, not only for the sidewall portions of the tires, but also for the entire tire, including the tread portion thereof.